About

The home base for the CIGAR BOX GUITAR community and Prim-Rock (primitive rock) movement. This is the coolest music site on the net!!!

Download various plans for cigar box guitars in the “Files” section. Share building secrets, stories, history and more. Discuss playing techniques, too. We’re open to cigar box guitars, ukuleles, dulcimers, banjos and whatever else you can create. We always have a ton of mp3’s and pictures to download, too. THE REVOLUTION BEGINS HERE!!!

Frequently Asked Questions!

What is a cigar box guitar?
Simply put, it’s a stringed instrument that uses an empty cigar box as it’s resonator. They are not necessarily of the same design as a normal 6-string acoustic guitar. For example, some cigar box guitars have only 1 or 2 strings. Many do not have frets up the neck, but are played fretless or with a slide.

Who made cigar box guitars and why?
The origins of most cigar box guitars stem from poverty. Many times, the builder was just a child who desperately wanted to rock out, but had no money to buy an instrument. In addition, cigar box guitars were made and played by Depression Era jug band members who specialized in making instruments out of anything.

Are there any rules to making and playing a cigar box guitar?
Absolutely not! This is perhaps the most enduring trait of the instrument. This is not like a violin or piano that have snooty traditions attached. Creativity rules in cigar box guitardom. Remember, it was intuitive children with open minds who made the majority of these suckers.

So why did the cigar box guitar lose it’s popularity with childeren?
You’ve got to remember, most of these were made in the Depression Era. Kids (and adults) had no other choice but to invent the things they wanted. Even Wal-Mart sells semi-good acoustic and electric guitars.

Resources

Not only do cigar box guitars have a great history, these little guys deliver that authentic primitive blues sound...not to mention they're a heck of alot of fun to play!